Propeller.



No. 769,256. PATENTEDSEPT; a, 1904.

. I H. ENGE.

PROPELLER.

APPLIOATION FILED UN 17, 1903.

' N0 MODEL.

n all UNITED STATES Patented September 6, 1904.

P TENT OFFICE.

PROPELLER. 7

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,256, datedSeptember 6, 1904.

Application filed June 17,1903.

To all whom itwwty concern.-

Be it known that I, HERRMAN ENGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at WestBerkeley, Alameda county, State of California, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Propellers; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same..

' The present invention relates more particularly to propellers designedfor small boats, such as launches driven by gasolene or steam, andresides in the means whereby the propeller-blades may be shifted tochange the boats speed or the direction of its travel without reducingthe speed of its drive-shaft or changing the direction of its rotation,thus dispensing with the complicated and expenshould be had to the sivemechanism required to reverse the boats direction oftravel and vary itsspeed.

By the use of the hereinafter-described propeller the speed of the boatmay be quickly varied and its direction of travel changed or reversedwhile the drive mechanism is operating under full head.

To comprehend the invention reference accompanying sheet of drawings,wherein i V Figure 1 is a rear end View of the propeller, the hub-capbeing removed in order to illustrate the connection between theoperating-- v rod and the crank-arms'for the propellerthe parts bladesblades. Fig. '2 is a longitudinal sectional plan viewof the. hub,illustrating the positionof one. of the crank-arms when the blades arepositioned as set forth in Fig. 1 of the drawings; Fig. 3 is a similarView of the hub with positioned to place the propellerin 'a vertical ornon-operative position. 7 Fig. 4 is a similar view disclosing theposition of one of the crank-arms when the propellerblades stand in areverse position to that illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings,and Fig. 5 is, a detail broken perspective view of theoperating-shaft-and its head for engaging with and actuating thecrank-arms of the propeller-blades during longitudinal movement of theoperating-rod.

The numeral 1 isused to indicate a propellershaft, to the outer end ofwhich is attached the hub'2. Through the propeller-shaft 1 Serial No.161.797. (No model.)

There is a crank-arm 12 for each propellerblade 13, which crank-arms areattached by set-screws 15 to the shank 15 of the propellerblades. Saidshanks 15 extend through the outer wall of the hub 2, the crank-armsbeing attached to the ends projecting within the chamber 6 of the saidhub. The position of the crank-arms 12 controls that of thepropellerblades 13, the throw of the crank-arms in turn being regulatedthrough their connection with the head 7 by the movement of the rod 3. r

Presuining the parts to stand in the position set forth in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, which positions the propeller-blades 18 at an inclination forforward travel of a boat, and it is desired to place'thepropeller-bladein a vertical or neutral position, the operating-rod 3 is then moved orforced outward, causing the studsor pins 8 of the head 7 to graduallymove from within seat 10 of the crank-arms 12 and studs or pins 9 ofeach pair to work within the seats 11, so as to gradually force or turnthe crank-arm 12 during the outward movement of' rod 3 to throw thepropeller-blade from the position indicated by dotted line a,

Fig. 20f the drawings, into the position indicated by dotted line Z),Fig. 3 of the drawings. To change the position of the propellerblades 13from that set forth in Fig. 1 of the drawings to a position such as'willduring rotation of the propeller impart a reverse movement to the boatstravel, the operating-rod 3 This movement i of the rod causes the studsor pins 9 to graduis forced or drawn. inward.

ally-move from within the seats 11 of the c'rankarms 12 and the pins orstuds-8 to gradually enter within the seats 10 of the said crank-arms.The result is to gradually turn the crank-arms 12 with the movement ofthe operating-rod 3 and to throw the blades 13 into a'position or at aninclination indicated by dotted line d, Fig. 4 of the drawings.

' It will be understood that the described changes as to the position ofthe propellerblades are made without requiring the movement or rotationof the propeller-shaft 1 to be stopped, inasmuch as the rod 3 isactuated independent of the propeller-shaft 1.

It will be observed that the means employed for shifting thepropeller-blades are entirely inclosed or housed within thepropeller-hub 2, being thus protected from contacting with and becomingclogged or choked by seaweed driving of small-size boats, the objectbeing to enable the boats speed to be quickly varied or its direction oftravel changed without disturbing the operation or movement of the drivemechanism for the propeller.

Having thus described the invention, what isclaimed as new, and desiredto be protected by Letters Patent, is*- A propeller comprising a hub, aseries of propeller-blades rotatably secured therein, a series of crankslocated within the hub and connected to the shank of each blade, a pairof seats cut in each crank, a longitudinallymovable rod working throughthe hub, and a series of projecting studs carried by said rod, saidstuds engaging with the seats of the cranks so as to operate the saidcranks to shift the blades during longitudinal movement of the rod.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HERRMAN ENGE.

Witnesses:

N. A. AOKER, D. B. RICHARDS.

